DARPA plans "Crystal Ball" to predict the future

It looks like the Navy's not the only one keen on predicting the future these days, with the ever-experimenting folks at DARPA now also getting in on the act with a proposed solution of their own. Dubbed "Deep Green," the program consists of a variety of software that battlefield commanders can feed information into and get fed back forecasts of how a mission might turn out in return. At the center of the system, according to Wired's Danger Room, are two pieces of software: "Blitzkrieg," which produces combat models for commanders to consider, and "Crystal Ball," which pools a variety of information and offers up the most likely scenarios and the best course of action. We'll just have to wait and see if it actually pans out or goes the way of the laughing bullet.

[Scabies @ Jul 19th 2007 6:40PM]

would totally suck if this got in the hands of "the enemy"
engineer the situation so our guys' Deep Green says "do this" and get ambushed/decimated

[paul34 @ Jul 19th 2007 6:52PM]

If you want to know what happens with a computer like this, refer to the illustrious system known only as WOPR


hahhaha

[James Semanko @ Jul 20th 2007 3:14AM]

I hope they feed in the parameters for Tic-Tac-Toe into the matrix... and allow the players to be set to 0...

"Would you like to play a Game?"

[aeo @ Jul 19th 2007 6:53PM]

This is awesome but they should probably master just getting current information propagated properly before moving on to prediction of the future.

[Mark @ Jul 19th 2007 7:34PM]

Do not question our future-seeing overlords

[Neebs @ Jul 19th 2007 7:31PM]

You know...DARPA pwns.

[noah @ Jul 19th 2007 8:23PM]

Could have been useful when we invaded Iraq 4 years ago.Heh.

[Tim @ Jul 19th 2007 8:32PM]

Wonder if this will use the Oracle owned Crystal Ball. It's a finance program used for business cases to run sensitivities and predict likely financial outcomes.

[Bob @ Jul 19th 2007 8:38PM]

Anyone remember the sub-par movie Paycheck with Ben Affleck? The whole plat was that he was hired to do secret work and at the end they would erase his memory so that he can't rat anyone out. He makes a device for the evil corporate giant that wants to use it for evil of course.

Is DARPA so low on ideas that they are resorting to old movies for some cool new projects? Sad guys. sad...

[E71 @ Jul 21st 2007 9:41AM]

Sub-par? Despite Affleck's inability to act well, that was a good movie. But yes, it seems those folks at DARPA have watched that movie one too many times.

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 19th 2007 8:43PM]

REPLY HAZY
ASK AGAIN LATER

[ijan @ Jul 19th 2007 9:35PM]

If they would put the amount of energy and money into helping mankind, not trying to eleminate our whole species…and planet…

Which irony that the colour of the main enemy of Cuclucsclan-Bush is green (islam), as the software to kill them…

Have a nice day, ijan.

"All darpa and military engineers are a shame for all other engineers on this planet"

[Timothy Sottek @ Jul 20th 2007 10:44AM]

You're right, its not like DARPA invented the internet or anything.

idiot.

[ijan @ Jul 20th 2007 11:22AM]

Oh yea gloryous darpa, thanks for conecting 5 computers and saying thats the biggest ammount ever connected.

The Internet you are using today( the www ), was developed at CERN.

internet developed by darpa + killing inoccent < waiting for an invention made by scientists that do it right + peace + no hunger in the world

Thanks darpa for inventig the Neutron boms, toxic gas af the new generation, uranium amonition, new landmines that kill children everywere, new guns, new guns to fight against those new guns, medicine that takes away fear of soldiers and every other emotion as a side effekt, new supersoldiers that were stolen from halo, new videogames that convince boys from highscool to go to iraq and get shot, isects that are remote controled and kill you, rats that are remote controled and kill you…

Thanks for telling students that they shouldn't have international friendships, or they get suspected for spying…

@ Timothy Sottek:
But hey there is one good thing. They allow mankind to get rid of guys like you by simply using them as cannon fodder.

[chris w @ Jul 20th 2007 11:40AM]

If you want peace, you ALWAYS prepare for war. It's been proven throughout the millennia. If you don't understand that basic principle, then God help you because no one else will be able to.

[ijan @ Jul 20th 2007 6:54PM]

As long as there are people with such a opinion I have to agree, but this is a circle, I prepare for war, so you prepare for war, so I prepare for war, so you prepare for war, and so on and on.

If you want to live with your god (a person I really don't believe in because he cost to much lives (you know Inquisition, Bush n stuff) and those bone gnawing prehistoric, well do it I wont stop you.

But I prefer to break that cycle.

I have friends from all over the world and I don't think that my Country should prepare to kill them, just because some old man in their seats said so, just by watching on a card with randomly drawn lines.

no fascistically system (like in the USA and most of the other G8) -> no borders -> no nation -> no war… -> no elemination of mankind

I can only feel sorry for you because you don't have the vision to take tings of your own and you are afraid of changes…

PS: Dont come up with the "Terror" Stuff, more people die every day because of car accidents than will ever of "Terroristic activities" so maybe the money should be pumped in the national traffic system instead of the DARPA

[Christian Martin @ Jul 19th 2007 10:14PM]

Someone at DARPA has been watching Paycheck far too often...

[mr friggles @ Jul 19th 2007 11:40PM]

You chimps haven't figured out the game? Do you seriously think these people are making assassin dolphins and "crystal balls" and conveniently allowing the details to go viral? Ever heard of black Ops? Well they have to fund those projects to, and they usually like to conceal as-much-as-possible. DARPA does alot more nasty blacks ops stuff than it does Alice in Wonderland. These stories are a cover to hide funds for "alternate" projects & distract the occasional wondering politician. Now go back to oogling the flashy button.

[foxdude0486 @ Jul 20th 2007 8:43AM]

I already have one of those Crystal Ball thingys. It's black with a white spot with an 8 in it. You shake it, and a clear window on the bottom tells me the outcome.

[golddbz2000 @ Jul 20th 2007 11:35AM]

Jeez, talk about bad humor. Take your poor taste and infantile mockery elsewhere...

[mastershake3 @ Jul 20th 2007 12:07PM]

This would be a great benefit, unfortunately we have insure that the people who use it don't take it suggestions on blind faith and are capable of making well thought out decisions, and not simply taking the least risk based on some algorithim. you think todays human is up for that? well based on these posts, I'd say no. But as someone who has faced these decisions, I will ALWAYS welcome another tool, especially one that takes current real time intell to tell me what the force I'm up against (who probably trained together) MIGHT DO NEXT. My units motto was "Savior C Est Pouvoir!" nuff said.

[inkubus @ Jul 20th 2007 1:15PM]

DARPA has been really active these past few years... Guess have multiple warzones to test these kinds of things helps.

[Mike @ Jul 21st 2007 5:55PM]

Cool system, but I'm slightly uncomfortable with the naming of the 'Blitzkrieg' component, given its Nazi origins.